Fuse setting mechanism



March 23, 1948. Q HAAS FUSE SETTI'NG MECHANISM Filed Jan. 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invemor O'tio BBQ 0. s

March 23, 1941s.

o. R. HAAS- 2,438,165

FUSE SETTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenfor OtioRHaas y 7: dflfl orn 2y run Patented Mar. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUSE SETTING MECHANISM Otto R. Haas, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 31, 1945, Serial No. 575,514

Claims. 1

This invention relates to ordnance and more particularly to mechanisms for setting the fuses of rounds of ammunition.

An object of the invention is to provide a knifetype fuse setter which is automatically adjustable to act on rounds having projectiles the shapes of which are not all identical. To this end and as a feature of the invention the fuse setter comprises a set of knives engageable with the round of ammunition rearwardly of the fuse ring during the fuse-setting operation to hold the round against rotation and another set of knives engageable with the fuse ring of the round and being rotatable to turn the fuse ring. The latter set of knives is carried by a rotatably mounted fuse-cutter head mounted for axial movement toward and from a round of ammunition. The first set of knives is mounted for rectilinear movement with the fuse-cutter head, there being equalizer connections between the two sets of knives permitting movement of the two sets in equal and opposite directions whereupon the forces with which the knives engage the round are always uniform.

Another object of the invention relates to the provision of improved means for automatically terminating the fuse-setting operation after the fuse has been set a predetermined amount. This is accomplished in accordance with a further feature of the invention by mounting a stop arm on the rotatable shaft supporting the fuse-cutter head, this stop arm cooperating with a control arm positioned by the operator in accordance with the desired amount of fuse-setting. The control arm has a portion which lies in the path of movement of a member carried by the stop arm so that after the fuse-cutter head has rotated a predetermined amount, determinedby the position of the control arm, the rotation of the shaft will be arrested by engagement with the control arm of the member carried by the stop arm. The fuse-cutter head is driven by an electric motor, the circuit to which is controlled by a switch actuated by an arm pivoted on the control arm. Upon movement of the stop arm into its final position as determined by the position of the control arm the switch actuating arm is moved by a member carried by the stop arm thereby actuating the switch to interrupt the operation of the motor.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel combinations of parts and details of. construction, will now be describedin detail by reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of fuse-setting mechanism in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section onthe line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line VV of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. Sis a section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line IXIX of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the control arms associated with the fuse-setting mechanism, and

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a switch actuated by the fuse-setting mechanism at the conclusion of the fuse-setting operation.

The fuse-setting mechanism illustrated herein is embodied in a gun-loading mechanism of the type shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,417,300, granted March 11, 1947, on an application filed in the name of Chester W. Greene. The fuse-setting mechanism is carried by a support I 0 (Fig. 1) extending between and secured to the arms of the carriage shown in that patent forwardly of a rounds magazine l2.

The fuse-setting mechanism comprises a set of four knives I4 (Fig.2) arranged to engage the nose of a round I6 rearwardly of a fuse ring I8 for locking the round against rotation during the fuse-setting operation, and a second set of knives 2|] engageable with the fuse ring of the round. The knives 20 are carried by a ring 22 which is rotatable to set the fuse a predetermined amount. The knives M are carried by a support 24 are ranged for sliding movement toward and away from the magazine l2 in which the round It is positioned for the fuse-setting operation. For thus carrying the support 24, four rods 26 are provided, the upper rods being carried at their rearward ends by the forward portion of the magazine I2 and at their forward ends by a gear housing 28 carried by the support In. The lower rods 26 are carried at their forward ends by the support In and at their rearward ends by a plate 30 extending upwardly from a bracket '32 extending rearwardly from the support Ill. The knives M are adjustably carried by the support 24 as shown in Fig. 3 by bolts 34 provided with eccentric portions 36 engageable with apertures in vertical extensions of the knives l4. Nuts 38, engageable with a. ring-shaped plate 40, serve to hold the plate against the forward wall of the support 2'4 and to lock the bolts 34 in the proper positions of adjustment.

The fuse-setting knives 20 are formed on the inner surface of the ring 22 to the forward side of which are secured three forwardly extending bars 42 (Figs. 2 and 4) slidable in a fuse-setter head which is inturn carriedfor-sliding-mover ment on a splined shaft 46 extending rearwardly from the gear housing 28 and connected through suitable reduction gearing to a fuse-setter motor 48. The ring 22 is urged rearwardlyofthe head 44 by springs 50 (Fig. 4) acting between the -forward ends of the bars 42 andaflangedsleeveiz secured to the front of the fuse-cutter head? The bars 42 are formed with rack teeth 54 engaged by gears 56 journaled in the head. The gears 56 also engage rack teeth formed on sliding bars 60. the rearward portions of whicha-re provided with lugs 62 slidable in slots formed in the head 44. The lugs 62 are groovedto receive the ringeshaped plate iil. (Figs. 1 and 13) .From theabove .it Will. be understood that thesupport 24. carr ing the knives I4, isconnected by the plate All .and bars 6!! to the head for movement therewith toward the roundat the'beginning of the fuse-setting operation. After the knives l4 have engaged the round, further rearward movement of thehead (M willcausethe ring 2-2 to move rearwardly relatively to the head 44. This is caused by the fact that the head- .4 l will-=move rearward y-a-fter the support 24 has come to rest with the knives It in engagement with the. round and the relative movement between the bars 60 andhead 44 will cause rotation of the gears 56 to cause rearward movement of the bars lzrelatively to the head 14 until the-knives20 haveengaged the'fuse rin of the round. By this arrangement the force with which the two sets of knives engage the round is equalized and the knives- -may beused with projectiles of the different shapes frequently encountered without the necessity-of any manual adjustment of theparts of the fuse setter.

' For thus moving the head 45 to carry the knives into fu e-setting engagement with the round, a earn shaft B l is provided witha cam Git with which-cooperates a-cam roll 68 carried by -a-bell crank lever 10 mounted on a shaft 12 carried-by and extending outwardly of the gear housing-28.

Alsocarried by the-sha-f t 1-2 isa. 'g10wnwa-rgllyextending arm 14 connected by an adjustable link 16 to a. lever 18 pivote d at 80 to the support I0, Theupper end of the leverjlaxis forked and care ries rolls .182 engageable in the groove of the flanged sleeve 52. A epringti, acting between an u wardly e t nd ng-arm oi the bel c an lever wand a rack t 816.. secure o and exte neunwar y f m the su port '18 move th head 4.4 rehrward y when thecam 551s, ihtthne pos on show i i .1 th re y to. io rc .the knives. l4 and. 2!) onto the nose of'therouhd, At the conclusionof the fuse-setting. operation. .the cam 66 is rotated ytheshafmtinthe di ection of the arrow as describedin the above-mentioned greens patent and after a slight amountotrotae tion of. the tam-t e be rank le erl isrocked in c n qc i e direct on w ereupqhth hsad--4 i m d fo wa d y to car y the-kn ves J4 and-20 out f-engagement .with thsihos o the: roun :Fon-eontrollin the amountof thefuse settingopera iQ the s e shafttt extend forw dlyoiiths aseanhwdns an cart s-at.itsfo w rd 4 a stop arm 90 (Figs. 6, 7 and 10). The initial position of the stop arm is determined by an adjustable stop screw 92 against which the arm bears when the fuse setter is in its zero or starting position. At this time a switch 94, depending from a plate 96, secured to gear housing 23 and extending laterally therefrom, is held in one positionby a; switch-actuating plate 98 carried by the outer end of the stop arm 9i]. A control arm I (Figs. 9 and is mounted adjacent to and 1 just forwardly of the stop arm 99 on a shaft IE2 (Fig.9) which is driven through reduction gearing'by a motor I94 (Fig. 8) which is in turn controlled", by thegoperator by the use of suitable accordance with the desired amount of fuse setting-One type of equipment that may be em- .equipment-ufor positioning the control arm I08 in ployed is a self-synchronous transmission system .such. as. that illustrated and described in the Hewlett et al. Reissue 16,667, granted July 5, 1927. in smu h semis-equipment fo s n ar o t .p sent invention, it is not illustrated herein. The control arm is provided witha rearward exensioni fifiarr hs d i t p h o m vement of dii s ableastops r 1 8 (Fig. 6) ca ie by thers op'armaai vc:rta1 y secu ed to he r a side oi-tneeont q e wilds arma fir-the lower ehd f= w ch o med as a sarasesment eh aseeb etwit teeth-112 (Fi s. Band 1.0) in the oute send of a 51 1 1 1| 4' s da jlein ah re formed n-th -.f rward:e d o thezs ait lt. The rod H 4 s u ged 9 1W .d v 9 he-sh ft -46 by a spr ne endo -thearm l Wi iormedwi h aving acam surfacearranged round end of a screw I 2!) adt e-stop a mss. Accordin y w e irt ehcas hast-been: rotated a predetermined amotintzaccordih -atothe :positionsof' the ontrm i ii- *;the.screwr20 en a es the upp r q im' zlifi.andii fi kszit'inia clockwise diret on as. iwed-1 n Eig-.il'thus movingthe rod-Ht ...y:0 the 5. 188 1 firagainst the force'of the spring! #6,. :ThiS motionof the rod 4 l4 is transmitted through a segment ill-pivoted 0n, ashaft 12.! 3 5 311). immaled in. ,azsleeve 126 (Fig. .8) by s arzheusing (128-170. aswitch actuat- .3 23. 1'39 actuateaswitchtltl This switch isgoperatedr, the: conclusion of'thea fusersetting opera-tic 0 openthe; c -rcuit; to the. fuse-setter metonatthe same-time thatrthe screw 38 engages theyupper end of-the controlarm: um positively to arrest-ithej-inovement of: the: arm 1% and rotation of the shaft-A6.

..C} arried by the su giport i ll-is-a switch Hill (Figs. 1-and.8) the fimction ofsvhichis to reverse the fnseesetiier motorzat apredetermined time after the eonclnsion of 'YtiheZfUSErSEttiHE operation in order tereturn-thastop arm rllll'to itsxoriginal posiilion as shownxin Fig. .6. :For operating the switehlilfl; a. switch: a-rnfltfl (Fig. 1') .is pivoted one, bracket-. 144 depending from the support if! hllds srmiovidedat its lower *end'with a cam roll l;45:receiveg1-ina groove 1148-10 5 a cam I59 carried oamzzshafttt;

e beginning of thefusersetting operation thepartsiare,inthepositions shown in Fig. 1 with th knives MzandnZflinzengagement with the nose the ound;-theipartsi'beingat rest. 'The'control 'l Gilt-is positioned-shy :the motor' i M which is in turn operated by suitable control mechanism (not shownl-in accordance with the desired amount offusesetting. Afterthearmlflflhas been prope ly'p sit-ioned t e operat r closes a: i cu t to h sc-se tcrmotor whe eup n th shaft s is tated to turn then-pgrzlcarryingathe knives-2B,.

thereby turning the fuse'ring with respect to the round IS. The fuse setter motor continues to rotate until the stop arm 90 moves to a position determined by the position of the control arm whereupon the screw I20 engages the cam surface of the projection I I8 carried by the arm I II], rocking this arm about its pivot and causing actuation of the switch I32 as heretofore described which opens the circuit to the fuse-setter motor. The screw I08 carried by the stop arm 90 engages the projection I06 of the control arm I00 at the same time, thereby positively stopping the rotation of the shaft 46, bringing the fuse-cutter head 44 to rest.

The actuation of the switch I32 operates suitable mechanism such as that described fully in the Greene patent referred to, above, to start operation of the cam shaft 64. At the initial portion of the rotation of the cam 66 thebell crank lever 10 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction thereby withdrawing .the fuse-cutter head from engagement with the nose of-the round. The further rotation of the cam shaft causes the round to be transferred from the magazine and loaded into the gun as described in the Greene patent. Immediately after the fuse-cutter head has been withdrawn from the nose of the round, the switch arm I42 is operated to actuate the switch m: closing a circuit which causes reversal of the fuse-setter motor which rotates to return the stop arm 90 to the position shown in Fig. 6. When the arm reaches this position the switch 94 is actuated to open the circuit to the fuse-setter motor. After a new round has been indexed in the magazine into the position shown in Fig. 1

and the cam 66 has completed substantially a revolution the cam follower 68 drops into the recess in the periphery of the cam whereupon the spring 84 forces the fuse-cutter head into engagement with the nose of the new round. This action of the fuse-cutter head causes the knives M to engage the round rearwardly of the fuse ring after which the knives 20 move relatively to the head 44 by reason of the equalizer connections heretofore described so that the two sets of knives engage the respective portions of the round with equal forces. It will be understood that the shape of the nose of the round may be such that the two sets of knives will engage the round at the same time, or the knives 20 might engage the fuse ring prior to engagement of the knives M with the round rearwardly'of the fuse ring. In any event, regardless of the exact shape of the nose of the round, the equalizer connections between the two sets of knives insure proper engagement with the respective portions of the round with the same forces. With the fusecutter head in the position shown in Fig. l the parts come to rest and the mechanism is ready for the next fuse-setting operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Fuse-setting mechanism comprising a set of knives engageable with a round to hold it against rotation and a second set of knives engageable with the fuse ring of a round, means for causing the application of equal pressures by said two sets of knives on the round, and means for moving said second set of knives relatively to the first set to effect a fuse-setting operation.

2. Fuse-setting mechanism comprising two sets of knives engageable with different portions of the nose of the round, means for moving one of the sets of knives relatively to the other to set the fuse of the round, means for moving said knives into engagement with the nose of the round, and means connecting said sets of knives for relative movements toward and away from each other whereby the pressures exerted by said knives on the nose of the round are equalized.

3. Fuse-setting mechanism comprising a set of knives engageable with a roundto hold it against rotation during the fuse-setting operation, a second set of knives engageable with the fuse ring of the round, means interconnecting said sets of knives for movements toward and away from each other whereby the pressures exerted by said knives on the round are equalized, and means for turning said second set of knives relatively to the first set.

4. Mechanism for setting the fuses of rounds comprising a fuse-cutter head, knives carried by said head engageable with the fuse ring of a round for rotating the fuse-ring in response to rotation of the head, means mounting said knives in said head for axial movement relatively thereto, a second set of knives engageable with the round to hold it against turning during the fuse-setting operation, and pressure equalizing connections between said first and second sets of knives so that equal forces are exerted by both sets of knives on the round.

5. In combination, a fuse-cutter head, means for moving said head toward and from a round supported inalinement therewith, a set of knives carried by said head for rotation therewith and engageable with the fuse ring of a round, means mounting said knives in said head for axial movement relatively thereto, a second set of knives mounted in advance of said first set of knives, means connecting said second set of knives for rectilinear movement with said head, said connecting means including a connection to said first set of knives arranged to permit relative axial movement of said sets of knives in opposige directions, and means for rotating said hea 6. Mechanism for setting the fuses of rounds comprising first and second sets of knives engageable respectively with a round rearwardly of the fuse ring and with the fuse ring, means for moving said knives into engagement with a round, a head supporting said second set of knives for rotation relatively to the first set, means connecting said first set of knives to said head for rectilinear movement relatively thereto and to said second set of knives, and means for rotating said head.

'7. In combination, a fuse-cutter head, a set of knives rotatable withsaid head, a second set of knives, means constraining said second set of knives against rotation with said head, means for imparting rectilinear movement to said head and to said sets of knives, and means connecting said sets of knives for equal and opposite movements axially of the head and relatively to each other.

8. Fuse-setting mechanism comprising a fusecutter head, means for rotating said head to set the fuse of a round, a control arm arranged to be positioned in accordance with the desired amount of fuse setting, a stop arm arranged to be turned by said rotating means concomitantly with the rotation of said head, means carried by said stop arm engageable with said control arm after the fuse has been set an amount depending upon the setting of the control arm, and a switch actuated by said stop arm simultaneously with the engagement of said means with the control armforinterrupting the operation :of said ;rotat-- ing means.

9. Fuse-settlng-mechanism comprising afusecutter head,jmeans for rotating said head to set the fuseof .a round a control arm arranged to be positioned in accordance with the desired amount of'fuse setting, a stop arm arranged to be turned by saidirotating jmeans concomitantly with the rotation :of said,head,rmeans carried by said stop arm engageable with said control arm after the fuse-hasbeen set-an-amount depending upon thezsetting ofthe control arm tointerrupt the rotation 'of the;:fuse cutter head, a switch controlling'the operation of said rotating means, a switchractuatingJ-arm pivotally carried by said control arm, and means carried by said stop arm for-moyingsaid1switch actuating arm to interrupt the operation of said: rotating means simultaneously with the gengagementmf the means carried by thesstop arm-with the control arm.

10. Fuse setting mochanism comprising a fusecutter head; :a :shaft supporting said head for rotation andforrectilinear, movement relatively thereto; a motor-forturning. said shaft, means 8. for moving sald juse cutter head along saidshaft to en age the nosesof a round thefuse of which is to be set, a stop arm carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, a control arm having a portion lying in the path ofmovement of the stop arm and arran-gedto be positioned in accordance with the amount. of fuse settingrequired whereby the engagement of the stop arm with the control arm terminates the rotation of said shaft andtheV-fuse-cutter head, a switch controlling the operation of said motor, and means carried by saidcontrol arm engageable by said stop arm at the end of. the fuse-setting operation for actuating said switch to interrupt the operation of saidmotor.

OTTO R. HAAS.

REFERENCES .CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Harvey Feb. 13, 1935 Number 

